all about flying drones

What is a Drone Hover Cycle aka Hoverbike?

A hover cycle (hoverbike) is simply an aerial vehicle that has the ability to hover, although it resembles the motorbike. It has a minimum of 2 propulsive portions, whereby one is situated in front, and the other is located behind its driver.

Development of the first hoverbike was started in 2014 by Malloy Aeronautics whereby they experimented with the quadcopter as a lift. This company publicized that it was having collaborating with defense department of the US at Paris Air show in 2015. A certain British inventor known as Colin Furze publicized that he had developed a hoverbike utilizing two paramotors in 2016.

There is also another model of hoverbike referred to as Aero-X that was developed by Aero-X which is a corporation of aerospace engineering that is based in the city of Los Angeles, USA. This drone bike has the ability to carry a maximum of 2 individuals. However, this model has not been released into the market yet.

The latest model of hoverbike by Hover surf that was launched in the year 2017 is known as Scorpion 3.

The police department of Dubai is the first institution to adopt the use of drone bikes in the entire world with the introduction of the hoverbike. This drone bike which is manufactured by Hover-surf was introduced in 2017. During this period, the Hover surf Company was still an outfit in Russia. This company is currently based in California. This model cost about $150000 and was awarded to the police department of Dubai which still has the ability of purchasing supercars like Bugatti and Aston Martin.

Most people are excited about this drone bike and even consider it as a product that is innovative.

Limitations of a drone bike

This drone seems to be very fun especially since it involves a drone which one can ride. However, one should be careful with the drone bike since it’s both extremely dangerous and pointless. Some people who are not so impressed with this innovation are even considering it to be a deathtrap. They go even further to insist on its limitations and claim that it’s an aerial amputator which is the most dangerous transportation mode when compared to all transportation modes in history.

According to the manufacturer of the scorpion three drone bike (Hoversurf), the pilot’s or driving license in the USA is not necessary to ride this drone bike, which may pose a lot of risks to most people around the area this bike will be operated and also risks the life of its operator. There are not tests that one should pass so as to operate this innovation, which may seem very good to don’t prefer undergoing any tests.

Hoverbike specs

One of the excellent safety features of the Hoverbike drone bike is the fact that it has a short battery life that will most likely last for about 10 to 25 minutes. This drone bikes will most likely stall out without reaching you if you’re at a safe distance like 10 miles meaning it won’t get close enough and inflict injury on you. This drone bikes seem to have top speed and can move at the speed of about 60 miles/ hr, although this is quite slow when compared to other police cars used in police departments of various countries like Dubai.

How about the propeller guards?

There are some people who don’t prefer drones that have propeller guard since they consider them to add more weight and bulk while they only offer little protection. These Hoverbikes by Hover surf is designed without the prop guards which makes it have an additional weight which means it can be very dangerous if it crashes as it would increase impact if it were to fall on heads of people or even to the limbs of its pilot.

Why some people don’t consider the Hoverbike to be a good idea

Some people offer various reasons as to why they are not impressed with the Hoverbike. Some of these reasons include:

· They claim that this production drone model is extremely loud although manufacture claims that it’s 10% quieter as compared to the prototype model.

· This drone bike tends to kick up all the loose things that are located at the ground level such as sand.

· This drone bike has a maximum speed of 60 miles/ hour which may make it very challenging for the police departments that are intending to use it to catch criminals with super fast vehicles.

· This drone bike has a limited battery life of about 10 to 25 minutes which means a lot of time will be wasted since they will need regular recharging.

· Another limitation of this drone bike is lack of the propellers which seems like irresponsible since it can have severe consequences if this drone bike crashes. For instance, crashing of the drone bike can decapitate the operator or mess up or maul anybody it encounters while still in flight. Additionally, this drone bike can amputate the ankles of the operator if they forget about the spinning props.

You can visit the headquarters of Hover surf with about $10000 where you’ll probably receive personal training. Afterward, you can purchase the Hoverbike at a price of $150000.

Hoverbikes for the police department of Dubai

There is an ongoing plan that involves ensuring that Hoverbike will be operational by the year 2020. The Hover surf scorpion is a single seat drone bike that has four spinning propeller blades. One should be very cautious when operating this machine because of these spinning blades since they can cause dismemberment to the operator.

In 2017, Alexander Atamanov, the CEO of Hover surf confirmed that the police department of Dubai and the Hover surf were in agreement that involved assembling of the drone bikes that would be supplied to police officers in Dubai. Their General Director claims that these drone bikes will be utilized in Dubai this year by the first responders so as to help the officers gain access to areas they are unable to reach either by vehicles or on foot. He added that they are planning to be extensively using them come 2020. There are certain anticipations that these Hoverbikes may be available in most locations in the near future. Dubai is certainly very serious in adopting these drone bikes, which indicates that they may need more police officers to operate these new machines.

The government of Dubai tends to achieve a milestone when it comes to the matter of technology. This is very clear especially after deciding to equip its police department with the recent weapons and also introducing the robot cops. They have decided to include drone to their officers which will help them to make or handle peace at the times of emergency situations.

Features of the Hover drone bike

Drone bike is a totally new concept that can be utilized for establishing peace and emergency situations. The scorpion three drone bike is manufactured by Hover Surf, a Russian firm. This bike is currently being utilized for taking actions in emergency circumstances and just like other drones it is powered by a battery. It has the ability to fly up to a maximum altitude of about five meters and can go for a distance of about six kilometers without raider.

The Scorpion 3 Hoverbike has a total weight of 110 pounds (50 kilograms) excluding the batteries. Including the batteries, it has a total weight of 229 pounds (104 kilograms) which indicates that each battery has a weight of 39 pounds (18 kilograms). The Scorpion 3 Hoverbike takes about three hours so that the batteries can be fully charged and replacing them only takes a minute. The type of battery that is used by this Hoverbike is the SD LiPo battery.

All parts of the Hoverbike, including the controllers, are manually manufactured by the experts at the Hover Surf Company. These parts tend to be genuinely durable and reliable, although all parameters are only dependent on weather conditions, wear/tear of the exclusive parts and the load.

The Scorpion 3 Hoverbike is currently available in 6 colors like yellow, grey, black, white and two others. The drone bike has protection of steel duct and the safety lock. In the near future, the However Surf Company is planning to upgrade the battery to the HD battery in an attempt to increase the flight time of this bike.

The Scorpion 3 drone bike can go up to a maximum speed of about 200 km per hour and can be utilized for about eight hours after it has been fully charged. This drone bike can, therefore, fly for about twenty-five minutes while carrying a person with an average weight of about 300 kilograms at a speed of approximately 70 km per hour.

Drone Applications

Surveillance, compliance, and security

Most drones have either cameras, microphones or both. There are cameras that are enabled for sensing heat and for vision at night. The cameras are important in crime prevention, prosecution of criminal, criminal investigations and in the sentencing of any behavior that is criminal-like. Reviewing of images and camera footages is used in the reconstruction of the events before a crime and in the solving of various crimes so as to facilitate the tracing, arrest and the prosecution of the crime perpetrators.

Image review most of the cases yield information which is useful and that can be used for the arresting of the criminals after their tracking, exclusion of any potential suspects, witness identification, incidents reconstruction, finding of any lost or stolen objects such as vehicles and electronics and in finding of any persons that may be missing.

To curb illegal migration and drugs, drone surveillance will be essential. There are countries with plans to establish a system for border surveillance.

Camera images from the drones can thus be utilized by the police when conducting criminal investigations. Crime scenes can be investigated with no interference on traces that are essential for the cases in forensic cases. However, there may be a challenge in the unmasking of faces since not all drone-recorded images can be viewed clearly recognized by software for image and footage processing. Drone collected footage can be used as evidence to be submitted in court.

Drones that have Wi-Fi hotspots give clues on the location of someone, thus can be utilized for tapping of the internet and phone use. Drones are thus essential in security enhancement.

Drones in any security sector are grouped as:

· The systems that are non-active; cameras are used as the deterrent that is visual by the utilization of cameras that are fake so as to build an illusion of actual surveillance without actually monitoring or storing of data.

· The systems which are reactive; these systems have recorded, storing and facilities for playback of the footage for any incidents before, after and during the occurrence of an incident.

· The proactive systems; these systems contain live surveillance manned from a control room containing facilities for recording, storing and playback. This allows for immediate responses to any incidents when they are occurring.

Drones for disaster management

For instance, if there is a fire in a location, a drone will provide details on the size of the fire, the spreading rate, toxic particles released and local winds direction. If an accident occurs in a nuclear plant, drones will easily trace presence and radioactivity dissemination.

In the case of an earthquake occurrence, there is a need for rapid mapping for the affected area so as to assess damages and the sharing of rescue resources. Drones are used in the detection of forest fires. The drones detect forest fires by the use of aerials thus helping fire managers to limit the extent of fire damages.

Drones in Surveys, Geo-mapping and Cartography

Drones which contain sensors can be used in various sectors for reconnaissance surveys. For instance, to know the total number of animals in a huge National park, drones will be effective in terms of cost, and it is time-saving as well to establish the total number of animals. Providing animals with the RFID tags will enable drones to track animals’ biodiversity, migrations, habitats, and poaching. Images obtained are essential in the estimation of animal population and behavior tracking.

Since drone photography is cheap as compared to aerial photography using a craft which is manned, photographs from the drones can be used for geo-mapping and cartography. Drones get so close to earth’s surface, and thus different angles for the photographs are achieved. Modeling of the 3D terrain, geomorphology; volcanic activities, erosion, and seismographic activities, and research on the vegetation are accomplished by use of a drone in photography.

Drones are used in geography to estimate populations. Geological surveys by using drones are essential in a finding of new oil and gas sources.

Drones for inspection and the maintenance of infrastructure

Monitoring of traffic congestions for traffic rerouting, infrastructure use such as movement of ships, vehicles, and aircraft can be monitored easily. Any data collected is utilized for the purpose of analyzing traffic. Leaking pipelines are also detected for prompt action by the use of the drone. Buildings and objects high up are easily inspected at very close distance by the use of the drone. Vulnerable buildings such as airports, nuclear plant and harbors can be protected by using the drone. After a disaster such as a tsunami or an earthquake, if the communication lines are destroyed, drones that are equipped with Wi-Fi can be used to restore the communication network.

Accessing of areas that are remote

Areas that are inaccessible may be due to being remote, or traffic congestion can be accessed quite easily using a drone. For instance, remote islands can be supplied with various basic amenities by the use of drones. People in remote areas are easily discovered by use of the drone.

Mass media and film industry

Drones offer opportunities for better and high video and camera shots. Drones can be used in the filming of athletes and sportsmen. They are used in the provision of landscapes, buildings and cities overviews. In movie recording, it is possible to have aerial perspectives in pursuit scenes.

Drone journalism enables coverage of news, police pursuits and large events. Drones are as well used for leisure and recreation activities such as selfie-taking and bird watching.

Drone for science

Drones are used for the collection of research data. Drones are used in the meteorology department for data collection on radiation, wind force, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. There are drones made so as to withstand severe storms and hurricanes. If there are nearing hurricanes or tornados, people can be evacuated on time.

Drones are used in the archeology department for surveying of landscapes patterns or even old settlements. Images from drones are essential for site excavations and reconstruction. Drones are more detailed and cheaper as compared to satellites.

Drones for courier services and rescue

Drones can be employed for delivering of mail parcels, military ammunition to soldiers and even delivery of basic things purchased such as fast foods or groceries. In rescue operations, drones are used for food and water supply. Medicine is as well delivered by drones. Infrared camera drones are useful in finding lost people and thus saving them from dehydration and hypothermia.

Drones in Military

The Defense Ministry use drones for checking out the enemy base deliver ammunition to soldiers at war as well as provide the soldiers with food and water or even detonate bombs on areas being attacked. Unique frequency bands are used by the ministry, including military satellites. Drones for the military are usually equipped with weapons and teargas. Sometimes, drones are used for target killing.

Drones for Agriculture

Examples of the sensors are; chemical sniffers that measure right amounts for things such as fertilizers and biological sensors for tracing of microorganisms and pests. These are used in biomass estimation, plant diseases and weeds checking, monitoring of the crops growth rate and progress, checking of crop pests and the level and quality of watering.

Drones are as well used in the spraying of crops in the intensive farming system where mechanization is essential. Precision farming is achievable by using drones. Drones will be fast, safe and will lead to minimal damage as compared to the drone. Drones are used as scarecrows, especially when grain harvesting time is almost.